Dynamic Characterization of the Strength of Soft Materials

This paper presents an experimental procedure for the dynamic characterization of foam like materials through a rig called pressure pulse bar or split Hopkinson pressure bar. It is shown that the test of soft materials demands for a special set up of the equipment in order to guarantee that the electrical signals given by the machine are measurable. The technique is applied to the dynamic characterization of a foam material used for the absorption of kinetic energy.